Of new orleans



June` 19, 1923.

` 1,459,294 J. REED ET AL AUTOMOBILE RIM TOOL `Filed. Oct. 26, 1922 Patented June 19, 1923.

UNITED STATES JAMES REED AND GEORGE WASHINGTON, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMOBILE RIM TOOL.

Application filed October 26, 1922. Serial No. 597,107.

To all w hom t may concern Be it known that we, JAMES REED and GEORGE VASHINGTON, citizens of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improve-4 ments in Automobile Rim Tools; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

- exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in devices for contracting and expanding transversely split automobile rims, for the p-urpose of changing tires.

In carrying out our invention, we make use of a pair of rim-engaging hooks and a turn-buckle connecting them and while we know this general construction to be old, it

is the object of our invention to provide the turn-buckle with a novel form of operating handle which may be readily folded into the space between the side bars of said turnbuckle or fiat against said bars, when the tool is not in operation, permitting it to be compactly carried in a tool box or other rece tacle in the machine.

ith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel construction hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rim tool constructed in accordance with our invention.

Figure Q'is a vertical sectional view.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail elevations show-Y ing the manner in which the tool is used for contracting and expanding a rim.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates a hook having a threaded shank 2 upon which one end of a turn-buckle 3 is threaded, another hook 4; being swiveled at 5 to the other end of said turn-buckle. The two hooks are intended for engagement with opposite points of a rim for contracting the same as shown in Fig. 4 or expanding it as disclosed in Fig.

5 and when the last named operation is being performed, strips of wood or any other desired material are preferably interposed between the hooks and the rim as indicated at 6 for the purpose of preventing slippage which would probably be caused by contact of the metal hooks against the metal rim.

lhile it is an easy matter to operate the turn-buckle up to a certain point in the operation of the tool, it is then practically impossible to turn the same merely by gripping its side bars 7 with the hand. Hence, we extend a pivot pin 8 between said side bars and fulcrum one end of a hand lever 9 upon said pin, said end being preferably bent upon itself to form an eye 10 through which the pin 8 passes. This pin may well be in the form of a rivet and the portions of the side bars 7 through whichv it passes are preferably reinforced by providing them with appropriate bosses ll. It will be obvious that the handle 9 may be extended at right angles to the turnv buckle 3 for use as a andle in turning the latter, thereby permitting the tool to be effectively operated. When the operation has been completed, however, and the tool is disengagedv entirely from the rim, the lever 9 may be compactly folded aga-inst the turn-buckle as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

As excellent results have been obtained from the details disclosed, they are preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

We claim A rim tool comprising a turn buckle having a threaded opening in one end, a rimengaging hook having' swiveled connection with the other end of said turn buckle, a rim-engaging hook having a threaded stem passing through the threaded opening of' said turn buckle, the side arms of the turn buckle being provided with alined openings adjacent the end portions of the turn buckle having the hook swiveled thereto, a turning lever formed of a flat strip of a width for fitting between the side bars of the turn buckle, said strip having one end portion bent upon itself to form an offset bearing eye 'for fitting between the side bars of the turn-buckle, and a pivot pin passing through the alined openings of the turn buckle and through said eye to pivotally mount the 5 lever for swinging movement longitudinally of the turn buckle from an operative position to an inoperative position on an axis just sufficiently ollset to permit the lever to lit within the turnbuekle parallel to the threaded stem. l 15 ln testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures.

JAMES REED. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

